Labor and its views on IR (1 Viewer)

[banco55]

And what expendible services would they be? If we do cut them and have to pay for them ourselves what is the benefit? We would get taxed less but then we would have to pay more for other things.



How does this support your initial claim that Unions demand other people's stuff? Demanding conditions is totally different to demanding "stuff" which basically implies Unions attempt to take other people's property. What is wrong with certain conditions being enshrined in law? Even Howard doesn't want to get rid of all of these conditions.

Depends what services you are talkign about but often the services that are provided by the governmetn could be provided more effectively by the private sector.

 

[volition]

It's simply a pre-election desperate grab. If they get in then they will calm down and (hopefully) formulate a real policy, right now everything done by both sides is just an attempt to get votes.

I reckon for the most part, everything done is an attempt to get elected. That's the point though isn't it?

Our system doesn't actually necessarily reward policy that makes sense, it rewards introduction of policy that other people like. There's a huge difference.

 

[ZabZu]

..or you could have huge wage claims from militant unions which results in spiralling inflation, plumetting productivity and low growth (see britain in the '70's).

Ever since the Accord began in the early 1980s, the unions have been behaving themselves. There has been very little industrial action and wage increases have been moderate and mostly linked to productivity growth (via enterprise bargaining).

I agree inflation needs to be under control. After all, low-income earners are worst affected by increasing inflation and interest rates.

 

[withoutaface]

On claiming that having a large rally turnout legitimises a cause: that's an argumentum ad populum.

On claiming that what both sides are doing at the moment is populism: no shit, it's an election year, and the unpopular but important stuff happened back in 2005 for a reason.

On conditions not being able to be equated to property: penalty rates = money. Money can be exchanged for property. The same can be done for most other conditions.

On the place of Unions in society: they should exist as organisations with a voluntary membership, and no special legal rights. If an employer doesn't want to negotiate with X union, that should be his right, but he's also narrowing his pool of employees from which he can choose.

Carry on.